The classic game of xe2x80x9ccheckersxe2x80x9d has been varied in numerous ways over the years. It is usually a two-person game in which one-half of the classic checkerboard comprising 32 squaresxe2x80x9416 of one color (usually black) and 16 of another color (usually red)xe2x80x94is the domain of one player and the other one-half is the domain of a second player.
In the sphere of board games that have become popular, one innovation involves xe2x80x9csports checkers xe2x80x9dxe2x80x94i.e. combining checkers with the theme of an active sport, such as football, basketball, tennis, golf, hockey, soccer, baseball or bowling. These games may use helmets or balls or conventional pieces in colors characteristic of well known professional or college teams as the xe2x80x9ccheckerxe2x80x9d pieces in lieu of the round chips of monocolor wood, plastic or another solid material most commonly called checker pieces. For these games, ways of scoring for the capture of one of the opponent""s checker pieces or for attaining xe2x80x9ckingxe2x80x9d status by successfully moving a piece to the front row of the opponent""s territory have been devised that are analogized to the scoring used in the particular sport. In golf checkers and tennis checkers, each of the players contends as himself; in the other sports, the players each contend as a well-known professional, semiprofessional or college sports team.
There are also known variations of checkers and other board games wherein they have been implemented on personal computers, on a host network; or in an integral small device where a single player typically plays against the device. It is contemplated that the herein disclosed version of checkers may also be so implemented using appropriate software or a suitable microchip.
The present variation of the classic checkers board game makes changes in the game and how it is played, but includes the possibility of using conventional checker pieces, sports emblems, sports figure pieces and other decorative pieces as xe2x80x9ccheckersxe2x80x9d as hereinafter described.
A basic feature of the present game and the equipment for playing it is the provision of a checker board of regulation number of squares which, however, is accommodated to fourperson play by being divided into quadrants. On this 4-part board, normally one-half of the 64 squares are of a single color, which can be black, white or any other color desired. This color is, for purposes of this application, denoted the xe2x80x9cbackground colorxe2x80x9d. The other 32 squares, however, which alternate in typical checkerboard fashion with squares of the background color, are of a different color from the background color. The different color may vary in each of the four quadrants of the board or it may be uniform. When the different color is a uniform color, each quadrant may be distinguished from the other three quadrants in any of a variety of ways. Thus, one or more of the squares of a given quadrant may be marked with a colored dot or other colored emblem, the color or shape or other identifying characteristic of which corresponds to that of one six-piece set of checker pieces. This marker may be an applied decal, a painted-on symbol or any other marking that will assist the players in distinguishing the quadrants from one another without obstructing the normal play of the game in any way. When only one square of each quadrant is marked, it is preferably one of the outermost squares at or near to the corner of the board. When more than one but less than all squares of the quadrant are marked, it is preferable that the marked squares be the superking/superqueen-making squares and king/queen-making squares of the quadrant. The overall board may be of the same size as a conventional board, or it may be somewhat enlarged with larger sized squares than the conventional board so as to make it more comfortable for 4-person play. If enlarged, its ultimate shape is still that of a perfect square.
The xe2x80x9ccheckerxe2x80x9d pieces of each of the four game players are likewise distinguished from one another in some manner. For example, four different colors of conventional round wood, plastic, or like material ordinary checkers may be supplied. Alternatively, four sets of more fanciful xe2x80x9ccheckerxe2x80x9d pieces as suggested hereinafter, may be used, with each 6-piece set so constructed as to be readily distinguishable from the other such sets. The game as supplied will accordingly contain of 4 sets of 6 checker pieces, distinguished from one another in some way as more particularly described hereinafter.
The game as supplied will also include a number of appropriately shaped and constructed xe2x80x9cundercheckerxe2x80x9d or xe2x80x9criserxe2x80x9d pieces, each adapted to fit beneath a checker piece to form a king or a queen when a checker has successfully been moved to an appropriate position on the board as hereinafter described. The risers may also be so formed that two of them can fit together and then be stacked under a checker piece to form a xe2x80x9csuperkingxe2x80x9d or xe2x80x9csuperqueenxe2x80x9d when a checker has successfully been moved to an appropriate position of the board, as described below. If desired, double height and single height risers can be supplied and the need to stack two risers together can be eliminated.
When four players play the game, each one plays against all three of the other players. Three players can play if one of them undertakes to play two 6-member sets of checkers against each other and also against the sets of the other two players, and if only two players play, each one plays two 6-member checker sets against each other and also against the two sets of the other player.
The play of this game differs from classical checkers in that even the ordinary checkers in this game can be moved in either forward or reverse direction, one square at a time. Another difference is that when an ordinary checker reaches a square in the 8-square outermost row of any opponent""s quadrant (which row includes two cornerpieces of the board), either at the opposite side of the board or a square in the 4-square section including one cornerpiece in the opponent""s territory on the side adjacent his own location, that checker becomes a superking or superqueen. When an ordinary checker enters a square in an opponent""s quadrant that is within the 6-squares on an edge of the board between the two 8-square outside superking/superqueen-making rows, it becomes a king or queen. A king or queen has the same powers as kings and queens do in conventional checkers and also has the power to jump and thereby capture a superking or superqueen that is positioned in a square adjacent to the position of the king or queen with an empty square behind it. The superking and superqueen can capture all of any opponent""s checkers (including kings and queens) that are in its direct path or in any direct path that opens to it after it has already moved several spaces by path-clearing. For example, a superking or superqueen may jump over and clear from the board 3 or 4 opposing checkers in a line, rest on a free square and move in a different path from that point to clear one or more opposing pieces from the board, and continue in that manner, all in one turn of play, until there is no path available to clear. In this regard, it is important that the presence of even one of a player""s own checker pieces in a line of consecutive pieces pathway is a complete obstacle to path-clearing.
The game is won when the last opposing piece is captured, or is unable to move. The game ends in a draw if only two players (or two teams) are left and neither can defeat the other after ten moves.